James a



J. A. BLAGKMER.

BOOK HOLDER.

' (No Model.)

No. 564,964. Patented Aug. 4, 96k I UNITED STATES PATENT EricE.

JAMES A. BLAOKMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ALONZO B. RIGGS, OF SAME PLACE.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,964, dated August 4;, 1896.

Application filed December 21, 1894. Serial No. 532,539. (No model.)

To all? whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, JAMES A. BLAoKMER, of

clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to provide a holder for books,and particularly stenograpliers notebooks, which holds the book open, yet permits the leaves thereof to be turned and fastened, so as to remain fastened when turned where the reader desires, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and as illustrated in the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the holder, taken through the wings and the vertical plate just above the ledge and omitting the standard. Fig. 4 is a rear View showing in detail the construction of the pivot connecting the holder to the standard supporting it, and Fig. 5 is a similar detail of the lower hinges of the wings of my invention.

In the drawings, A represents the standard, to the upper end of which myimproved holder is pivotally connected, and which arises centrally from a base-plate suitably supported by a sufficient number of feet. One side of the upper end of this standard is flattened, and to this flattened surface I pivot a quad rant B, as shown. This quadrant is provided with a segmental slot to, near its segmental ed ge,the curvature of which is struck from the pivotal ccnterof said quadrant, and through which a suitable thumb-screw aextends and is tapped into said standard A. By tightening this screw a the quadrant can be secured in any position to which it may be adjusted con sistent with the extent of the slot ct. This quadrant B has an arm 0 projecting in the opposite direction from its pivot,in line with the edge of the quadrant nearest the holder, said arm 0 at or near its upper end being provided with a boss 0, the flat side of which faces the holder proper, as shown. I provide this boss with a central opening, and pass through this opening from the rear the thumb-screw d. This screw (1, after passing through boss 0, is

tapped into a suitable opening made with reference thereto in the boss c of the plate D, which is secured to the back of the vertical plate E, forming the upright to which the wings F F are pivotally connected, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The lower end of the plate E is bent forward at right angles thereto and has riveted to it the ledge f. This ledge fis provided with an upright lug g at each of its outermost angles or corners, and is likewise provided with up right lugs at each of its rear angles or corners, to which latter the leaf-springs 7c are secured, the purpose of which will be more fully explained hereinafter.

The vertical plate E is provided at its top edge with a vertical slit h, which is located about the center of width of said plate, and said plate E is likewise provided with a slott' near the base, just above the ledge f, which is located in vertical alineinent with the slit 7L. The wings F F are rectangular frames made of strips of metal arranged horizontally and vertically and riveted together at the intersections about as shown. The horizontal strips forming the upper and lower sides of these wings have their ends 9 g, nearest the plate E, extending a corresponding distance and bent at a suitable and corresponding curvature to the rear. These extended ends are also provided at a corresponding short distance from their extremities with vertical recesses or slits m, which extend upward from the lower edges of said extended ends about at the point where the rearward curvature thereof commences and form hooks. In order to pivot these wings to the vertical plate E, Iplace said wings in the same vertical plane as the front surface of said plate E, and so that the curved extremities of the ends 9 will enter the slit i. lthenmove said ends through said slit and slot, respectively, and then move said wing downward, so that the hooks formed by the recesses on will prevent their independent withdrawal. In order, however, to prevent the possibility of the wings becoming accidentally disengaged from the plate E, I have provided a small plate H, which, after the wings are pivoted, is secured by means of a suitable screw to the rear of said plate E in such position that its lower edge laps over the upper portion of the slot t and prevents the lower extended ends of the wings from being raised sufficiently to be withdrawn from their bearings.

The leaf-springs 70 extend laterally from their secure ends toward the plate E and normally press forward against the lower horizontal edge or strip of the wings. keeps said wings normally pressing forward against the lug g.

The plate E just below and in alinement with the slit h is provided with a lug or knuckle n, in which the upper end of the wire link K is pivotally secured. This link is intended to confine the center or back of the book, as will presently appear, and from its upper pivoted end it extends slightly forward and then downward parallel to the plane of the front surface of plate E to the ledge, Where it is bent so that a portion of it will extend in a direction corresponding to its upper horizontal portion, and then it is bent vertically downward and is j ournaled in a suitable opening made with reference thereto in said ledge, as shown.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: The book is opened and placed with its back in front of the pivots of the wings of the holder. The leaves and covers on each side of the back of the book are then pressed back against the wings,causing them to move rearward. \Vhen the wings are moved sufficiently to permit the lower edges of the covers and pages of the book to get to the rear of the lugs g, the book is moved down until it rests on the ledge f, whereupon the book is released, and the wings, by pressing forward, hold the said book open. \Vhen it is desired to turn the leaves, the leaf is moved laterally toward the back of the book until it is released from behind lug g. This can easily be done by rubbing the finger against the leaf to be turned, about mid way its height. The released leaf is then turned to the other side and the wing This in front of which it comes is pressed back sufficient to permit the lower edge of said turned leaf to get back of the lug g on that side of the ledge f to which it was turned,

whereupon the pressure is removed from the j wings, which immediately move forward and hold the book open at the page turned to.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination with two wings having their corresponding edges pivoted to a suitable upright, and normally pressing forward, of the upright to which said wings are pivoted and a ledge or rest secured to the lower portion of said upright, and having stop-lugs arising therefrom which are located on either side of said upright and intercept the normal forward movement of said wings.

2. The combination with a suitable standard, a vertical plate connected by a swivelcoupling to the upper end thereof, and a ledge secured to the lower end thereof, having two stop-lugs arising therefrom, and two springs, of two wings having their adjacent edges removably secured to said vertical plate as set forth.

3. The combination with a suitable standard, a vertical plate 'pivotally secured thereto having slits or slots in it near the upper and lower end, a horizontally-disposed ledge secured to the lower end of said vertical plate, having stop-lugs arising therefrom, substantially as described, and a lock-plate, of the normally forwardly pressing wings F, F, having their upper and lower edges extended, so as to provide corresponding arms the ends of which are slightly bent to therear, and are provided with corresponding vertical recesses to form them into hooks, the curved ends of said arms extending through said slots or slits, and their independent withdrawal prevented by said plate, as set forth.

JAMES A. BLACKMER.

\Vitnesses:

THEO. B. HELLER, FRANK D. THOMASON. 

